Yet more Hot Coffee litigation

Further lawsuits which were hinted at in Take-Two's recent SEC filing have begun to materialise, adding to the multiple legal wrangles stemming from the now infamous Hot Coffee scandal.

Take-Two stockholder John Fenninger has filed a new lawsuit against the company in New York's district court for "fraudulent scheme and course of business", accusing the publisher of insider trading and company mismanagement.

The new motion follows a slew of political and legal conflicts regarding hidden content in GTA: San Andreas which the company had initially denied responsibility for, claiming that the controversial content was nothing more than an unauthorised third-party modification and not the developer's original game code.

The ongoing legal battles aside, Take-Two's handling of the matter has caused considerable internal conflict, raising a number of questions over managerial disclosure of pertinent company information and sparking a fiery statement of accusatory comments from former board member Barbara A. Kaczynski, who left the company recently.

Fenninger's lawsuit is just one of several potential new legal actions against the firm, which were hinted at in the company's recent SEC filing, and accuses company executives - including CEO Paul Eibeler - of misleading the public and the SEC through non-disclosure of potentially damaging information regarding the controversial hidden game content. Fenninger maintains that the company's deliberate actions have left it open to the US ratings change that was enforced as a result of the scandal, as well as various lawsuits, including those from stockholders.

A trial date has yet to be set for the latest case, though its filing is likely to add further financial strain and more damage to the company's reputation as the Hot Coffee scandal continues to boil.